Method of forming vehicle wheels



Aug. 14, 1923. 11,464,495

w. N. BOOTH METHOD OF FORMING VEHICLE WHEELS Filed April 15, 1918 v -2Sheets-Sheet 1 V Aug.'l4, 1923. EAMAQE? W. N. BOOTH METHOD OF FORMINGVEHICLE WHEELS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 15, 1918 I filmmwa I Willchm/772500 $71 curacies and defects unavoidable :in manu- Patented Aug14, I923.

lgiifiadtii WILLIAM 1\T. Boo'rmfor nn rnoi'r, MICHIGAN.

METHOD or FORMING VEHICLE HEELS.

flpplication filed April 15,.1918. Serial No. 228,688.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM N. BOOTH, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements lIl Methodsof Forming Vehicle Wheels, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The 'inventionrelates to the manufacture of vehicle wheels of that typeprovided with a wooden spokes-and'felly, and it is the object of theinvention to simplify the process of manufacture and eliminate certaininacfacturing processes heretofore employed.

In the usual method of forming wheels,

thefellies are bent into substantially semicircular form, are'then boredfor engage- "ment with the spoke tenons and cut 01f to the r with thespokes and are then mounted upon a temporary hub, which is placed in alathe and theperiphery of the felly trued to circu- I straight stockfrom whichthe bent felly sec- This process is open to the objections,first, that proper length. In assembling the wheel the felly sectionsare pressed into engagement lar form, being finally pressed intoengagement' with the metallic rim or tire.

additionalstock must be provided in the felly for the truing operation;second, as the inner face of the felly is not trued the latter will beof uneven thickness at different points; third, there is a tendency forthe felly to spring out of engagement/with the spokes when relieved fromthe press, so that subsequently thesegpokes will be loose.

In another process 'of-manufacture, the

inner ends of the spokes to force the same fellysections afterengagement with the spokes are directly pressed into the rim without anytruing operating. One difliculty with this process is to obtaintheproper circumferential length of felly to fit the metallic rim, which isof standard size, and also to obtain accurate radialrarrangement of thespokes and equal pressure thereon from all sides of the felly. Thisdifiiculty is primarilyv due to the fact that the .bent fellysectionsare seldom accurate in form and are not arcs of a true circle.Ther is.

therefore no means of accurately gauging to determine the lineiofcut-ofl', and the result is that the sections vary in peripheral lengthand may be either longer or shorter than required; Also the angle ofthe-cut cannot T beQaccurateIy determined, and when the.

sectionsare forced into true circular formthe abutting endsvwill not bein fullcontact. Still another. difficulty is to secure accuracy inboring the felly for receiving the spoke tenons. If the. felly is nottrue the bores will not all be radial, which will result in misalignmentof'the spokes.

With my improved method lover-come all of the diiiiculties abovedescribed: first, by conforming the inaccurately-bent felly to.

the predeterminech-exact circular form; sec-I end, by performing uponthefelly while held in true form the: operation of cutting off to the exactlengthand boring for the spokes 1 third, bycircumferentially compressingthe assembled felly. sections and spokes and laterally forcing the samewhile thus compressed into. engagement with the felly band; and fourt byapplying to the spokes during the compression of the felly acounteracting force which insures full engagement. of the tenons withthe recesses for receiving the same.

In the drawings I have illustrated the successive steps of my improvedprocess, in

which Figure 1 is an elevation of the an velevation of tion is formed;Figure 2 is illustrates the the bent section; Figure 3 mannerofconforming the inaccurately bent section to the true circular form,also indieating in dotted'lines' the exact plane of cut-off and anglesfor the several bores;

Figures isa plan view showing the operation of circumfer'entiallycompressing the assembled spokes andfelly sections; Figure 5 is across-section illustrating the mannerof applying the counteractingforceto the A represents the straight stock from which I the fellysections are formed, this being cut to suitable dimensions. The stock isthen bent by the usual process into substantially semi-circular form, asindicated at B Figure 2. The bent sections are then conforn'ied to atrue arc,and while thus conformed are cut to accurate length and bored:

for engagement with the spokes. The accurate conformation of thesections is. prefer- V ably accomplished. by first planing, the outer D.This guide will and inner surfacesthereof an'dfthenfor'cing one of saidsurfaces, preferably the external surface, into contact with a segmentalguide C of predetermined radius andby suitable means such as theinternal p'ressor members 1 ing the boring operation bywhich thetenonreceiving recesses are formed and the sections are also trimmed toaccurate: length,

g The felly sections bored and trimmedlas' described are next-assembledwith tenoned'r spokes Gr, as shown in: Figure 4, after-which thecomplementary sections are placed to- I gethenand'are sub ected to acircumferen:

forcing them while still under the pressure. of the jaws H with the rim-J; This the inner face of the spokes the shouldersKbetween the bevelled"v are employed for l tial'lyjappl'ied'radial pressure; Preferably thispressure is applied through a series of segmental jaws which are,simultaneously 7 moved radially inward whileat thdsame time an opposingpressure'is applied to the inner, ends of the spokes by suitable meanssuch as the center pin'L As shown in'lihgure 5, thepin I is slightlytapered and when forced in' laterally exerts the outwardpres- "sureonthe spokes,

The spokesG' which are engaged with the fellysections are accuratelyformed so asto=be of uniform length between their inner eirdskandtheshoulders G which bear against felly. In forming these inner "ends "andthe] round spindle portion and also tli'ebevelled or otherwise formed tohe in exactd-irnension from the shoulders K.

IHQQLSSQlI-lbllflg the wheel, the inner ends K of the spokes'will-abutagainst the cenexact distance from the center;-

terguide pin I and will thushe held an This will cause the shouldersK tolie flush-iwith each s other and will-also force the shoulders Gagainstthe folly with equalpressure; Thus in use the :loadwill beuniformly distributed on the spokes, ders 'K'iie flush wit-beach othereliminates the necessityfof hand-work in finishing, which ayetions'hejretofore usedLfl' I j With-ya wheeiior 'ed as clescribedtherehold theltru e form dur comprising asindicate'd" by the dotted line E E,so as 5 tO- 0I'1I1 complementary portions of thec'fulh felly. sectionsare en-i then be completed pressed withv the folly, rimg.

ocating the spoke while V operated upon the cutters formingthe ten onsand shoulders G faces G and Furthermore, the inner ends K ofthe'bevelled portions are trimmed Y beenfnece ssary in construe. p

' of the planes of the bevelled the shoulders of the- ,tenons,=andradially is not only accuracy whenfirstmade but the same accuracy will:be maintained-.' 1 This is for the reason that neither the spokes northe folly sections haye been overstressedor placed underunequahpressure, and the folly being of uniform. thickness will beequally strong in all p orti'on's.

' Whatl claim smy 1nvent on is:

l. The method of forming spoked wheels 7 the assemblingiof apluralityof= complementary spoked felly' sections of exa ctlypredeterminedlength of arc, compressing: said]- sec'tionscircumferentially against an. opposing: the spokes, conformingythetoutensurface; of theffelly' to a, true circle-of; exactly';;pre%:.determined diameter, and: engaging the, ;sec-, tionswith a circularretaining rilnor band; of corresponding diameter. y

- 2.: The: method of :forming .SPOlEBdIWhBGlS, comprising the forming;ofijspokes of-exacuypredetermined radial length, engaging said spokeswith folly. j sections'of'exactly p edetermined; length. of :arc,assembling com; plementary spoked 7 felly sections and apply: ingcircumferential pressure thereto again-st; opposed pressure at theinner:.-ends.-of the spokes,

tionswitha fellyrim-ofcorrespondingsize;

, 3;- The: method-of forming spoked Wheels,

comprising the forming of spokes ofexactly, predetermined radial length,engaging the spokes :with: fellysect-'onsaof exactly rprede-gterminedlength of-arc,

mentary felly' sections radially 1 compressing the-folly and spokesagainst a central guide, 1' and engaging the same 7 while; thrus coin4.; The method of forming-wheels, com: prising the forming of spokeswith tenoneiii outer ends and:bevelled inner -ends,: the;lengitlrbetween Tthe shoulder'ro'f the tenonwand the point of intersection ofthe planes of 'the.

assembling com l v pressure at; the inner ,;en'ds1'of= :1

and engaging the compressed see-g 1 bevelled surfaces being exactlypredeter-fl mined,= engaging the tenons' of the spokes with bores in thefelly. sections, assembling the. spoke; and .fe lly sections around; acentral abntment,radiallycompressing; and eiie gaging the fellyf rimwhile still compressed;-

5. The method of assemblingsp'oked wheels, :comprising .engagingthes'pokeswitlr jcomplementaryifelly section's, radially coin pressingsaid felly sections in alignment with said spokes and applying. equal: aresisting pressure to the inner, end: of aeaichi'ofothe spokes duringsaid co'mpression.** 6.: The method of forming wheel's, -'corn-'-.

prising't'he forming of complementaryfolly sectionsof a true are ofpredetermined; r'a-g dius; assembling with said sections spokes s havingbevelled iii-nor ends and "t'enonedr onter ends, being ofexactlyp'redetermi'iied' re-' dial 'length'betweenthe point of:intersection' surfaces andg 3 eompressing the felly sections inalignment with said spokes and against a central resistance.

7. The method of forming wheels, .com-

5 prising the forming of spokes with bevelled inner end portions andshoulders between" the same and the radially-xftending spindle portions,said shoulders being exactly located with respect to the inner ends ofthe spokes, engaging the spokes with telly sections assembling thespoked felly sections around a'central abutment, and circumfen entiallycompressing said felly sections against said'spokes and centralabutment.

In testimony whereof I afiix'iny signature.

' WILLIAM N. BOOTH.

